I'm not quite sure what to make of this. This is from the eletronic edition of "The Australian" newspaper.

Sex offender's detention 'concerning'
June 13, 2006
CIVIL libertarians have condemned a decision to keep a self-proclaimed witch and convicted child sex offender in jail after his prison term expired.

Robin Fletcher, 49, has been in jail since 1996 after pleading guilty to prostituting a child and sexual penetration of a child under 16.

The professed witch used hypnotism and mind-altering techniques to gain control over two 15-year-old girls and turn them into sex slaves.

His maximum term expired at midnight last night, but the Victorian Government successfully sought an extended supervision order, granted by the Supreme Court, amid fears he had shown signs of re-offending.

After the order was granted, the adult parole board then imposed more than 20 conditions on Fletcher, forcing him to live in a building inside the grounds of Ararat jail in central Victoria.

He will have to wear an electronic tracking device and cannot leave his new home unless accompanied by a corrections officer.

Liberty Victoria president Brian Walters, SC, spoke out against the use of supervision orders to continue detaining prisoners after their maximum term expired.

"It is so open to abuse because it allows the executive (arm of government) to detain someone indefinitely.

"That is contrary to the rule of law. We're very concerned about that."

Mr Walters rejected the Government's position that Fletcher had been released from prison although he was still being housed under the order on prison grounds.

"He is being kept in a place where he's not free to move around. He is imprisoned. There's just no other way to describe it."

Police Minister Tim Holding confirmed the Government had sought the order against Fletcher because he continued to pose a risk to the community.

"We know that by securing him within the perimeter .. within the walls of the Ararat prison that we're doing everything we can to protect the community from him," he said.

Fletcher had shown no remorse and refused to undergo treatment during his jail term which will now be required under the order.

"He indicated during his time in prison that not only did he see nothing wrong with the offences that he'd committed but also that he essentially planned to commit similar offences when he was released from prison," Mr Holding said.

Asked whether it was appropriate to use the supervision orders – introduced by the Government last year – to detain prisoners after their terms expired, the police minister said the conditions imposed on Fletcher under the order were "appropriate, effective and proportionate".

However, the Government has asked a sentencing advisory council to investigate whether the state needs a new law specifically to allow continued detention of prisoners after their jail term expires.

Fletcher, was due for release earlier this year, but his parole was refused after authorities discovered he had engaged in "disturbing" correspondence with people in Ghana, West Africa.ui

In an advertisement on a prisoner pen-pal site, he claimed to be a real witch and an occult and bondage and discipline master.

Well... This guy obviously is a nutbar and deserves this "indefinite" punishment if he is wanting to reoffend and it makes me all that more angry that he is calling his obscene offenses part of his religion!!! What worse publicity for Wicca??

I say string him up by his boys for the next 20 years and see if he still wants to rape little girls and then shoot him.

Crazy Healer LadyHealth and happiness to you!

The purpose of a relationship is not to have another who might complete you, but to have another with whom you might share your completeness. -CWG

I am also skeptical about using hypnotism to make someone a sex slave.

And pretty upset about the Wicca thing, I guess some nut jobs will just pick a religion and use it to justify their beliefs. I have heard Mormonism, Hinduism and Judaism all used to justify sex with minors.

It does leave you feeling a little confused though doesn't it?

Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.
Dr. Seuss (1904 - 1991)

We can at least show support from all over the world for our Australian collegues. =D>

I have just posted this on their message boards;

This child molesting drongo that calls himself Wiccan

Hello all Australian collegues.

I have just read on Pagan library, which some of you may have experience of, that you are having problems with this untermensch.

Well, if it's any help I would like to add my suport to you, from Berlin Germany.

I am not Wiccan, I am Germanisches Heidentum, or Norse Heathen to you. But I see any attack against any related group or religion as an attack on me. After all we are cousins )

This guy, is in no way Wiccan. In NO way Heathen/Pagan. German Heathens wash our hands of him. He is no part of our culture. He is trying to sully the good name of Wicca in particular and Heathenism in general for his own ends.

German Heathondom declares him, from this day on as "OUTLAW".

Good luck you all.

If all our posters do the same. May be we could start a WORLD petition. Like Amnesty international in reverse.

I typed a rather long rant about this guy, but found that I could not get my full level of vitriol across without swearing. So. I'll just try to remain calm then.

He has categorically stated that he

1) Does not believe he has injured or negatively affected anyone in his history of abuse.
2) Belives child abuse to be a central tenant of Wicca.
3) Has been in contact with people while in prison to organise further and immediate offenses once he's out of the gates and unsupervised.
4) Has bragged about further offenses he's admitted to committing in the past without having been caught*

I'm very sensitive about my civil rights. Possibly overly so. But in his case, do not let him out of prison, regardless.

*I've read other reports on this man this week, will try to find them and post them if I can.

Okay: The majority of people in USA are Xian. Look at how many commit crimes and get their arses on TV for it. They're publicized, but the fact that they are Xian isn't. It's just assumed. If it was Fundie Xian stuff that was the reason for the crime, then it usually is, so far as we know.

I mean, Pagans are a scapegoat, but you've got to admit not as much as visible minorities. O___O The only problem is that it is harder for us to get empathy on the matter and therefore change it.

It's not just us. Ya, the media likes to get their kicks with Wiccan criminals, but they also get their kicks with stereotypical black man with a gun, chinese person car accident, yadda yadda. Ya, all Wiccans are rapists and sacrifice the neighbour's dog to the devil

Crazy Healer LadyHealth and happiness to you!

The purpose of a relationship is not to have another who might complete you, but to have another with whom you might share your completeness. -CWG

I too am very upset about the fact that this idiot claims Wicca made him do it - because we as Pagans don't believe in talking to the public about our religion (because we don't want to promote it in any way), it is cases like this that give the world all the information they have about Pagan religions - THE WRONG INFORMATION.

I am beginning to think that in order to survive, to have true freedom of religion, that the Pagan community as a whole may have to start re-thinking this whole "don't speak of it" mind set. I agree that we should not "recruit" like the Christians, but we really need to start getting some positive press out there about us. And no, I'm NOT talking about the fiascoes called Pagan Pride Day - they are a JOKE - nothing more than a silly circus/fair/road show that tends to attract the weirdest, most vocal, most over-the-top idiots that the Pagan community has to offer. In other words, very little accurate information there either. We don't need an event that puts us on display like oddities at the fun house. We need legitimate classes at community colleges and community centers. Not to teach how to BE one of us, but to teach what we really ARE. As with ANYTHING - if you inundate the public with it enough, it will become just another accepted thing - eventually.

As for this man himself - they have already proven scientifically that it is a genetic level defect that causes child molestation and that it CANNOT be cured. The best solution for child molesters is the one employed back in the days of village life - when they caught some freak idiot, they removed the offender from the gene pool. Stop wasting tax dollars on this defective individual, put a bullet in his head and let him mull over what lessons he learned this life and hopefully choose something less defective next time out.

I have never been quiet about my religion. I will say it loudly & proudly whenever given the chance. My stopping point comes at converting others. I don't mind telling people what I believe, but I also believe that you aren't going to convert if you don't believe in it. Thus my information is based on staying informative and to the point, not on making you believe I'm right and whatever you currently believe is not... Although if someone is already wavering on the path I'm not above giving them a gentle Shove in the right direction...

Trying to create a world, even in words, is good occupational therapy for lunatics who think they're God, and an excellent argument for Polytheism. -S.M. Stirling

I have always been rather quiet, but people just kind of know something's "off" with me. Maybe because of my pouch (which even complete strangers ask what is in it), or my general atmosphere, or the fact that I am a Reiki practitioner.

Only people I know very well know that I am Pagan. I'm not in the closet, but I make a point to ask other people their spiritual beliefs, and somehow, they never turn it around to me. O_O Which is all well and good, I suppose. The only one I am actually keeping it secret from is my grandpa, who is in a nursing home, Catholic, and doesn't need any stress, lest he turn blue again.

I do agree that we need some positive media here. The first thing that comes to mind is a charity drive or something, for say, (biased me) HOSPICE. No idea how it would work.

Crazy Healer LadyHealth and happiness to you!

The purpose of a relationship is not to have another who might complete you, but to have another with whom you might share your completeness. -CWG